Members of the state legislature and the administration comprising the 2019 Special Education Funding Commission met for an initial organizational meeting on August 27th to review the purpose of the body and discuss next steps. The Commission, established by Act 16 of 2019, will be reviewing the Special Education Funding Formula that was enacted in 2014 and determines payments for these services to school districts, as well as suggesting potential policy changes to the funding mechanism. Co-chairs of the Commission include Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), House Education Committee Chairman Curt Sonney (R-Erie) and Education Secretary Pedro Rivera.
It is expected that the Commission will address several overarching issues, including state funding levels. It is important to note that over the last decade, PA’s state share of special education funding has fallen from 36 percent to 25 percent, which means districts have the added financial burden of covering most of the cost to meet the needs of these students.
As a partner in the PA Schools Work Campaign, PPC, along with 27 other education stakeholders, submitted a letter to the Commission highlighting several points for its consideration in recommending changes needed to the formula. The Commission’s final report is due to the General Assembly by November 30th. Stay tuned for further updates as the Commission begins its series of public hearings across the state.
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